Combination can opener and can handle



Jan. 1, 1957 w. M. THOMPSON 2,775,315

comsmmou cm OPENER AND CAN HANDLE Filed Nov. 21, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 6 2,775,815 COMBINATION CAN OPENER AND CAN HANDLE William M. Thompson, Erie, Pa., assignor to Thompson Manufacturing Company, Inc., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 21, 1955, Serial No. 548,013

7 Claims. (Cl. 30-123) This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to can openers for opening containers of liquid and the like.

Can openers made in accordance with previous designs were usually made of a structure which would form an opening in the can which would allow an even stream of fluid to flow when pouring the contents from the can. Further, can openers made according to previous designs usually had no means thereon which would cause them to aflix themselves to the can, thereby making them usable as a handle therewith.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved can opener which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and simple and easy to use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination can opener and can holding device which will puncture a spout shaped opening in a can cover at one side thereof and form a combination pouring and handle holding hole at the other side thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a can having a combination can opener and handle aifixed thereto according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the can and opener shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the can opener;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the can opener; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the can opener.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, a combination can opener and handle is shown affixed to a can 11. The can 11 is cylindrical in shape; however, nearly any other shape of can could be opened by the opener 10.

For convenience in description of the can opener 10, the direction toward the part of the opener 10 which engages the top of the can 11 will be called upward and the flat sides of the opener 10 thereof will be called sides.

The can 11 is shown representing the usual type of can often used for containing milk, beverages, or other liquids. The can shown is cylindrical and has a top 12 and a bottom 13 with cylindrical sides 14 and openings 15 and 16 formed therein by the opener 10. The opening 16 which has been formed in the can 11 by the opener 10 has a flat side 17 and a lip 18 which is then pressed outward by the lower portion or base 19 of a point 20. The opener 10 is generally S shaped. The point 20 is formed by milling triangular beveled shoulders 21 on the edges of the point 20 which merge upwardly in tapered edges 22 which have cutting edges 23 and 24 thereon. The edges 23 and 2,775,815 Patented Jan. 1, 1957 24 cut the metal from the lip 18 backward and roll the flat side 17 of the edge of the openings 15 and 16 downward. The can opener 10 has an upwardly and outwardly extending bight portion 26 which extends inwardly to a can engaging corner portion 27 and then outwardly and upwardly at 28 to form a handle. The upper part of the opener 10 curves upwardly and inwardly at 29 and then horizontally and inwardly at 30, then down Wardly and outwardly at 31, and then curves more straight downwardly at 33 to terminate in the downwardly facing point 20.

When the can opener 10 is first applied to the can 11 and the point 20 engages the top 12 at a point at a slight space from the edge, the operator will then hit the top portion 31) with the palm of his hand. This will drive the point 21) through the top 12 adjacent the lip 18 and the edge portion 19 will cut outwardly and bend the top 12 of the can 11 downwardly to form a smooth lip at 18 and the edge 19 will slide downward along the inside surface of the can 11. Then as the operator drives the point 20 on through the cover 12 to form whatever size opening he desires, the edges 23 and 24 of the can opener 10 will progessively cut the sides of the opening 16 inwardly toward the center of the can 11, rolling the portion 17 down. Then when the corners 33 of the cutting edges have passed, the corner portion 31 will spring under the fiat side 17, thereby holding the can opener 10 in clamped position to the can 11. The can 11 can then safely be lifted by lifting on the handle without any fear of the can 11 slipping off the handle and the liquid can be poured out through the spout formed by the opening 16.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalent-s without departing from the invention which it is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A combined can opener and can handle comprising a generally S-shaped body terminating at one end in a piercing point directed toward the bight portion of said body and terminating at the other end thereof in a handle.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said point is formed at the termination of two downwardly and inwardly extending edges.

3. A combined can opener and can handle comprising a generally S-shaped body portion having two ends and a bight portion and made of flat material, one said end comprising a handle, the other end terminating in a point, said point being directed toward said bight portion, the portion of said bight remote from said point being adapted to engage the outside of a can whereby said point is urged toward the inside surface of said can adjacent said bight portion, the portion of said s-shaped member above said bight being adapted to be disposed in an Opening formed in said can lid and sprung under the lid of said can whereby said handle is held in place on said can.

4. A can opener comprising a bight portion having a lower end adapted to engage an outside edge of a can, said bight portion adapted to extend upwardly and outwardly from said lower end and bend inwardly, then curve downwardly and outwardly, and then inwardly to terminate in a point, said downwardly and outwardly curving portion forming a shoulder adapted to engage the inside edge of a cover of said can adjacent an opening, said point adapted to engage said cover adjacent an outer peripheral edge thereof and pierce a hole therein, said edge below said shoulder adapted to roll the material of said cover downward and toward the center of said cover forming a triangular opening in said cover, said point adapted to' roll the material adjacent the edge of said cover outwardly, forming a pouring'spout.

5. The can opener recited in claim 4 wherein a handle is attached to said bight portion.

6'. The can opener recited in claim 4 wherein said can opener is made of relatively flat material and said point is formed by beve'l-ing the edges of said fiat material adjacent said point outwardly and downwardly to form a triangular shaped cutting edge defined by the tapered edges of said material of the end remote fromthe side of said material adjacent said can inside edge.

7; The can opener recited in claim 6' wherein said point 4 is disposed adjacent the outside surface of said flat material and said beveled surfaces of said point join each other on an edge disposed generally parallel to said upwardly and outwardly extending bight portion whereby the material of said cover is rolled outwardly to form a pouring spout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

